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Aug. 30,1927. 1,640,645

, J. E. CALDWELL AEROPLANE Original' Filed Feb. 8. 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 mu/nu Aug 3 0 1927'. J. E. CALDWELL AEROPLANE 3 sheets-sheet 2 original Filed Feb.le, 1922 Patented Aug. 30`9 1927.

nire!) stares JONATHAN E.l CALDWELL, F SANTA MONICA. CALIFGRNIA.

AEBOPLANE.

Application died Eebruary B, 1923, Serial No. 617,746. Itenewed December 2E, 1926.

This invention relates to aeroplanes and has for its object to provide an aeroplane structure including main planes and an organized set of valved or feathering planes for elevating and supporting the vehicle. It is another object to provide a set of elevating and supporting feathering planes arranged to be concurrently driven in a circular orbit. A further object is to provide a gearless means for. constantly maintaining the orbital planes each "in a substantial parallel position with the other at all points in their orbit. Another object is to vprovide means for readily adjusting the angle of incidence ofthe orbital planes.

A further object is to provide main planes mounted for adjustment of angle of incidence and to provide means connecting the main planes and the orbital planes so that all the planes may be concurrently adjusted.

An object is further to provide an -aeroplane having main supporting planes and having sets of laterally spaced feathering, lifting planes each of which sets includes planes rotative in circular orbits, the orbits of the sets being coaxial. ln other words, it is an object to provide an aeroplane' having a central fuselage and on each side of the same orbitally moving'sets of feathering planes, and further to provide means for concurrently adjusting each of the planes and for maintaining the planes of each set in given and variable angles of incidence.

@ther objects and advantages will be made manifest in the following specification of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical substantially central longitudinal section of the aeroplane, certain parts being 'in elevation.

F ig. 2 is a side elevation of the fuselage and of the near feathering plane wheel; the feathering planes being shown lin vertical section.

Fig. 3 is avertical lsection transversely in a plane along the wheel axle, certain of the parts 'being in elevation.

'lhe apparatus incorporates any suitable fuselage and frame structure 2, the rear end 'of the body of the fuselage being shown as provided with a vertical dirigent rudder 3,'

and in the front end ofthe housing of the fuselage is a suitable motor 4 rearwardly beyond which is the aviatorsuseat 5 in front of which is a control wheel 6. the purpose of which will be described hereinafter.

@ver the front end of the fuselage there is provided upper and lower head and gliding planes 7 which are disposed transversely as to the fuselage, and each of which planes is mounted' on a longitudinally extending axis 8 about which these planes may be tilted to change the angle of incidence. rSuitable means are employed to accomplish this change of angle and, as shown, the planes are connected by links or rods 9 and these are shown as engaged by a lever arm 10 having a pivot l1 in upright-s of the frame 2.

Extending transversely across and above the fuselage is a main axle mounted in suitable bearings 16 in theframework, and this axle extends well beyond the sides of the fuselage so as to receive wheels 17 having hubs 18. 'lhe wheels are provided with spokes 19 having intermediate wheel rims 17 which in turn are connected to the rims 17 by radial spokes 1.7a offset outwardly from the wheel rims so as to provide clearance for drivin pinions 20 wlvrich preferably frictionalr engage in inner grooves or channels 21 provided therefor" in the respective wheel rims 17. These wheel rims are clearly shown in Fig. 3 as disposed somewhat beyond the sides of the fus( lage body and project downwardly Well below the same so as to form landing and running wheels in combination with a front landing wheel device 22.

The pinion or friction wheels 20 are secured on a jack shaft 23 which is provided with suitable driving connections deriving power from the motor 4. A form of such driving connections is shown as including a gear 25 which is secured on a propeller shaft 26 joined at 27 to the shaft of the motor. ln the organization shown, the propeller shaft 26 extends in a downwardly and rearwardly inclined position .through the bottom of the fuselage body and this enables the positioning of the jack shaft 23 transversely below the body where it is carried in substantial bearing brackets 28. This form of construction, it will be seen, provides a substantial organization in which the load of the vehicle is received directly by the wheel rims 17 when these rest on the ground, as shown in Fig. 3, and the load is then bevel gear 24 meshing with a complementary directly transferred to the driving friction pinions 20.

An important feature of my present invention consists of a novel construction and arrangement of lifting planes, and in means for driving sets of these planes in circular orbits, and in means for concurrently changing the angle of incidence of these planes and at the same time maintaining all the planes of a given set in a substantially parallel position with each other at every point in the orbit of the planes.

Such improved plane structure is shown as including an out board wheel or carrier 30 including a rim which is complementary to the rim 17 of each wheel above described, and each of which carriers or wheels 30 is mounted by hubs 31 on the outer ends of cross shaft or axle 17; these outer ends of the axle 17 being substantially supported in outer frame elements 2 suitably and rigidly setured to the main frame 2 proper.

There is, therefore, on each side of the fuselage a pair of the wheel rims 17 and wheels 30, and these are respectively cross connected by rock shafts or pvot rods 32 upon each of which is mounted, between the respective rim 17l and wheel 30, an airplane 33 preferably of the valved or feathering type, a conventional form of .which is indicated in Fig. 2 as consisting of a number of transversely extending featherinq blades 34 adapted to swing from a vertical open position during an upward movement of a plane to an oblique or closed position durin a downward movement of a plane and against air resistance. It is understood that any suitable and preferred form of feathering blade structure may be employed.

`As shown, each wheel structure 17 is provided with a-set consisting of four feathering airplanes 33, although any other number may be employed, and the rock shaft 32 of each airplane islprovided, at its inner end, with a crank 35, all of the cranks being symmetrically arranged, or in other words 'disposed in parallel position and common radial direction as `to their shafts 32 and are each connected/to awmeans whereby the cranks and their rockl shafts can be concurrently and similarly angularly moved so as to rock the said shafts and thereby change the angle of incidence of the respective airplanes 33 secured to the said shafts. A preferred form of means for changing the angle of incidence is shown as including a dominating connector, such for instance as a wheel 36 in or on the rimof which the wrist pins 35 of the crank arms 35 are journaled.

Each 1 dominating wheel l36 is provided with a large hollow hub 37 and this in turn is supported, preferably on antifriction means, such as a cluster or group of rollers 38 having parallel spindles 39 which in turn project laterally from a quadrant 40 rotamariees tively mounted on the transverse shaft 15 and on which the roller spindles 39 are arranged in a position so that the center of the group of rollers is eccentric to the shaft 15 a distance equal to the length of the crank arms 35 of the rock shafts 32. It will be seen, therefore, that the eccentric group of bearing rollers 38 form the center of rotation for the dominating wheel 36of' the contiguous set of cranks 35, and that the cranks 35 will be constantly and positively controlled and maintained in predetermined radial directions as to the orbit ofthe airplanes 33 about the shaft 15 at any moment. The quadrants 40 are xed or held sta tionary and are capable of adjustment readily, at the will of the operator, by suitable means, such for instance as screws 41 meshing with gear segments 42 provided therefor on the curved perimeter of the quadrants 40, and these screws 42 are provided with shafts 43 extending upwardly and forwardly and having bevel pinions 44 engaging comple,- mentary pinions 45 which are fixed on an actuating shaft 46 upon which the hereinbeforementioncd control wheel 6 is secured.

The actuating shaft 46 may be, and preferably is, split and is provided with clutch members 47 which, when closed as by the clutch lever 48, connect the shaft sections so that the quadrants 40 can be actuated simultaneously or, if desired, the clutch lever 48 can be thrown to separate the clutch members 47 and disconnect the sections of the shaft 46 and, therefore, enable the turning of but one of the dominating Wheels 36 as the control wheel 6 is turned.

It will be seen that during operation of the apparatus, power will be transmitted by the .driving pinions 20 to the wheel rims 17 and with these the airplane supporting wheels or carriers 17 +30 will be concurrently ro- .tated on the axis of the transverse shaft or axle 15, and during such rotation the crank shafts 32 will sweep in circular orbitsand will be rotated on their own axis by virtue of the connection of the wrist pins35 of the cranks 35 with the relatively Stationary dominating wheels 36.

Asis shown in Figs. l and 2, the airplanes 33 are set by the dominating means in parallel and horizontal positions, and these positions will be constantly maintained as the wheels 17 rotate about the axis ofthe shaft 15. To' tilt the airplanes 33 relatively downwardly at their rear portions or relatively upwardly at their rear portions, it is only necessary to turn the controlling wheel 6 and this will result in the desired angular movement of the quadrants 40 and the shifting therewith of the group of` roller bearing wheels 38 thereof around the axis ofthe shaft 15, the conse uence of which is to shift the dominating w eels 36 inwardl or rearwardly from the position thereo as shown in v of the airplanes 33 will be rocked in their bearings and the airplanes accordingly tilted and this changed angle of incidence will be maintained constantly during the rotation of the driving wheels 17 until the control wheel 6 is again manipulated.

rfhe feathering main supporting or gliding planes 7 being mounted for angular adjustment to change angle of incidence may be concurrently operated with adjustments of the lifting planes 33. rflois concurrent operation is obtained by connecting the lever device 10 as by means of a link or links l()a with the quadrants 40.

Further embodiments, modifications and variations may be resorted to within the spirit of the invention as here claimed.

"What is claimed is: y

l. ln an aeroplane, a fuselage, suitable frame work for supporting the fuselage, a main axle mounted in the frame work across and above the fuselage and near its longitudinal center, the main axle extending Well beyond the sides of the fuselage, wheels mounted upon the outer ends of the main axle, the rims of the wheels extending some distance below the fuselage so as to rest upon the ground and support the fuselage, an engine mounted in the forward end of the fuselage, driving pinions mounted in the frame and engaging the inner faces of the rims 'of the wheels, and transmission mechanism between the pinions and the engine so that when the engine operates the wheels will be operated.

2. ln an aeroplane, a fuselage, a suitable frame for supporting the fuselage, a main axle mounted in bearings in the frame across and above the fuselage and extending well` beyond the sides of the fuselage, wheels upon the outer ends of the axle large enough to extend some distance below the fuselage so that when thewheels are upon the ground the fuselage will be supported above the ground, friction pinions mounted in positions to engage the inner faces of the wheel rims, means for driving the friction pinions to drive the wheels, intermediate wheel rims concentrically mounted upon the wheels substantially half way between the axis and the main wheel rims, outer wheel-shaped carriers mounted upon the main axle and having rims complementary to the intermediate runs upon the wheels, rock shafts connecting the intermediate rims and carriers, airplanes mounted upon the rock shafts and having' feathering blades, cranks upon the inner ends of the rock shafts, connecter wheels mounted in positions with the Wrist pins of the crank arms journaled in bearings in the connecter wheels, large hollow hubs for the connecter wheels, roller spindles in the hubs and mounted eccentric to the main shaft, and means for separately adjusting the eccentric rollers, thereby tilting the airplanes of one side independent of the airplanes of the other side.

3. In an aeroplane, a fuselage, a suitable frame for supporting the fuselage, a main axle mounted in bearings in the frame across and above the fuselage and extending Well beyond the sides ofthe fuselage, wheels upon the outer ends of the axle large enough to extend some distance below the fuselage so that when the wheels are upon the ground the fuselage will be supported above the ground, friction pinions mounted in positions to engage the inner faces of the wheel rims, means for driving the friction pinions to drive the wheels, intermediate wheel rims concentrically mounted upon the wheels substantially halfway between the axis and the main wheel rims, outer wheel-shaped carriers mounted upon the main axle and having rims complementary to the intermediate rims upon the Wheels, rock shafts connecting the intermediate rims and carriers, airplanes mounted upon the rock shafts 'and having feathering blades, cranks upon the inner ends of the rock shafts, connecter wheels mounted in positions with the wrist pins ofthe crank arms journaled in bearings in the connecter wheels, large hollow hubs for the connecter wheels, roller spindles in the hubs and mounted eccentric to the main shaft, the rollers projecting from quadrants rotativel)I mounted on the main shaft, teeth extending from the quadrants, screws meshingwith the teeth, and means to independently tilt the airplanes of one side relative to the airplanes of the other side.

l. lnl an aeroplane, a fuselage, a suitable frame for supporting the fuselage, a main axle mounted in bearings in the frame across and above the fuselage and extending well beyond the sides of the fuselage, wheels upor the outer ends of the axle large enough te extend some distance below the fuselage so that when the wheels are upon the ground the fuselage will be supported above 'the ground, friction pinions mounted in positions to engage the inner faces of the wheel rims, means for driving the friction pinions to drive the Wheels, intermediate wheel rims concentrically mounted upon the wheels substantially half way between the axis and the i main wheel rims, outer wheel-shaped carriers mounted upon the main axle and having rims complementary to the intermediate rims upon the wheels, rock shafts connecting the intermediate rims and carriers, airplanes mounted upon the rock shafts and having feathering blades, cranks upon the inner ends ofthe rock shafts, connecter wheels mounted in positions with the wrist pins of the crank arms journaled in bearings in the connecter wheels, large hollow hubs for the connecter wheels, roller spindles in the hubs and mounted eccentric to the main shaft,

@ medew the rollers projecting from quadrantsrota- Ward ends of the planes, a-bell Crank lever tively mounted on the main shaft, teeth expivotally mounted upon the frame and con- 10 tending from the quadrants, Screws meshing neeted to the link, and a link connecting the with the teeth, means to independently tilt bell Crank lever to one of the quadrants.

5 the airplanes of one siderelative to the air- In testimony whereof` I have signed my planes of the other side, lifting and gliding name to this specification. planes pivotally mounted in the frame on transverse axes, a link connectingthe-for- JONATHAN E. CALDVELL. 

